Road-finishing machine



G. MAXON, In. ROAD FINISHING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED M24. l920- 3 SHEETS-SHEET I- WITNESSES Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- IZVENTOQ AT TOPNE Y G. MAXON, In. ROAD FINISHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED mu. 1920.

.1 .I I a 5 A. .751... .ItrI... 7.3. t .4, I I m W mm m lmm I w III II I I Ill! Ff .m 5% mm mm mm. m 0 m II I- I kw I m I I N 8 N VKLTNESSES I Z. 7% 6M UNITED STATES GLENWAY MAXON, JR,

OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ROAD-FINISHING MACHINE.

Application T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GLENWAY MAxoN, J r., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Road-Finishing Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which are a part 0 this specification.

The invention relates to road-finishing machines and more particularly to those for use in making concrete roads.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a tamper for concrete which is operated by compressed air by which the driving mechanism is relieved of shock and by which the pressure imparted to t e tamper will vary with the length of stroke thereof,

the pressure decreasing with an increase in the stroke, a condition very favorable for concrete.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide a road-finishing machine in which the tamper is disposed centrally of the machine to thereby prevent tipping of the machine on its supports and secure a balance to prevent vibrations and jars being imparted to the mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and effective mechanism for vertically reciprocating the tamper and horithe strike-off and for controlling the zontally reciprocating float and simple means operation of these parts.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end view; Fig. 4 is a vertical section view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1

The frame 5 of the machine is supported at its ends by wheels 6 which are adapted to run on rails 7 provided at the sides of the roadway. The greater part of the driving mechanism including the engine 8 is located in the central portion of the machine between the channel bars 8' so that the weight is concentrated as much as possible at the center of the machine.

A tamper 9 extends lengthwise and cen Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

filed January 24, 1920. Serial No. 353,721.

trally of the machine, a strike-off 10 extends lengthwise of the machine at the front thereof, and a float 11 extends lengthwise of the machine at the roar thereof.

The tamper 9 has a piston rod 12 connected thereto at its center and extending upwardly therefrom through. a bearing in the base 13 of a motor 14, said rod carrying a piston 15 working in the motor cylinder 16. Compressed air acting upon the top of the piston drives the tamper down against the concrete while its return is effected by springs 17. These springs 17 are formed of a number of superimposed flat springs and are suspended from the frame on brackets 18 and are connected intermediate their ends to the end portions of the tamper by clips 19 or other suitable fastening means.

Air is delivered from the cylinder 20 of a valveless compressor 21 through pipe line 22 to the motor 14. A piston 23 is reciprocated within the cylinder by means of a connecting rod 25 and a cranked shaft 26. The shaft 26 is directly connected to the drive shaft 27 of an engine by gears 28 and 29. The crank cases of the motor 14 and compressor 21 communicate with each other through a pipe 30 which equalizes the pressures in the crank cases. The pipe line 22 has a valve housing 31 therein from which a branch pipe 32 leads to the crank case of the compressor and a cylindrical plug valve 33 is mounted in this housing. Communication between the cylinders 16 and 20 is controlled by the valve 33 which may be turned to full open position as shown in Fig. 4 to give full power to the motor or which may be partially opened to decrease the pressure of the air delivered to the motor or said valve may be turned to bring a portion of the pipe 22 into communication with the pipe 32 under which conditions the motor is stopped and the compressor runs idle.

The volume of the compressor cylinder is larger th nth t of the motor cvlincr that as the compressor piston moves on its upward stroke the air in the compressor cyllinder is forced into the smaller volume of the motor cylinder thereby doing work on the piston 15 which in turn drives the tamper downwardly against the concrete. uring the first few strokes of the tamper the distance between the tamper and the concrete is small so that the travel of the piston 15 in the cylinder is small and consequently the air is more highly compressed and a greater pressure is exerted by the tamper upon the concrete. As the concrete is compacted and the travel of the tamper with its piston becomes greater, less pres sure is exerted upon the concrete by the tamper and such a condition of greater initial pressure and gradually reduced pressure as the tamping is completed is desirable when handling concrete. Furthermore, the shocks imparted to the tamper are not trans mitted direct to the engine shaft but are cushioned by the air, the motive fluid. The tamper is preferably reciprocated about two hundred times a minute, which speed is adapted to impart direct blows to the concrete without a vibrating action.

The strike-off 10 rests against rollers 34 mounted in brackets 35 on the front of the machine and is guided in its transverse movement by said rollers. the concrete against which the strike-off is moved while it is being horizontally reciprocated causing the strike-off to be pressed against the rollers 34.

The float 11 is provided with a flat belt 36 held in position by ties 37 and with channel guides 38 in which rollers 39 carried by brackets 39' are mounted. The brackets 39 project from the rear end of the machine and with the rollers support the float in the desired position. The channels 38 with the rollers 39 serve to guide the float during its horizontal reciprocation.

The machine is self-propelled by provid ing driving connections between the wheels 6 at each end of the machine and the engine 8. A propelling shaft 40 is drivingly connected to each of the wheels at each end of the frame by sprockets 41 on said shaft, chains 42 and sprockets 42' on said wheels. The shaft 40 is preferablymade in two sections 43 and 44 adapted to be connected together by a toothed clutch 45-of usual construction including a sliding clutch member 46"on the shaft section 43 adapted to engage a clutch member 47 on the shaft section 44 by movement of a shifting lever 48 operativel connected to the slidlng clutch member 46 and moved from either end of the machine by a control rod 49 having handles 50.

y providing this clutch that end of the ma-. c ine carrying the wheels 6 which are driven from the shaft section 43 may be moved forward or back while the other end driven through the shaft section 44 remains stationary, the clutch being thrown out so that the ends of the machine may be properly alined or the wheels at both ends of the on the rails 7 dependmg upon the direction pelling shaft.

The propelling shaft 40 carries a worm wheel 51 meshin with a worm 52 on a shaft 53. A gear 54 aving clutch sleeve 55 and a sprocket 56 having a clutch sleeve 57 are loosely mounted on the shaft 53. The gear 54 meshes with a gear 58 on a shaft 59 which carries a gear 60 meshing with a gear 61 on the crank shaft 26 which, as previously noted, is continuously driven by the engine. The sprocket 56 is connected by a chain 62 to a sprocket 63 on the shaft 59. A shiftable clutch member 64 having clutch faces at its end is keyed or otherwise non-rotatably se- Cu lcd to the shaft 53 and may be Shifted so as to be brought into engagement with eithel the sleeve 55 or the sleeve 57 to respectively drivingly connecteither the gear 54 or the sprocket 56. he gears 54 and 58 constitute a slow speed transmission for forward drive of the machine throu h the connections previously described w ile the sprocket 56, chain 62 and sprocket 63 constitute a faster speed transmission for backward drive. A clutch shifting lever 65 is operatively connected to the clutch member 64 and is pivoted to the machine. It is operated by a link 66 crank 67 and shaft 68 on the turning of said shaft in the desired direction by means of levers 69 on its ends adjacent the sides of the machine.

The shaft 53 has a clutch member 70 slidably but non-rotatably mounted thereon and actuated by a bell crank lever 71 pivotally mounted on the frame and operated by stops 72 on a shaft 74 on the longitudinal movement of said shaft in the desired direction by means of levers 75 pivotally connected to its ends adjacent the sides of the machine. A shaft 76 is journaled in a bracket 77 on the frame and is alined with the shaft 53 and has a clutch member 78 mounted thereon which is engaged by the member 70 to drivingly connect th shafts 53 and 76 together, The shaft 76 carries a crank disk 79 connected by a pitman 80 to a bracket 81 on the strike-oh 10 whereby the rotary movement of the shaft 53 will cause a horizontal reciprocation of the strike-01f when the member 70 is shifted into engagement with member 78. The strike-off 10 is preferably moved at a much slower speed than the tamper,' for instance the shaft 53, and consequently the shaft 76 operating the strike-off is driven at about 50 R. P. M. while the tamper is making 200 strokes a minute. This slower rate of movement f the strike-off as compared to the tamcper is of advantage in carrying out the ma finishing peration.

A shaft 88 journaled in a bracket 89 has a clutch member 82 slidably but non-rotatably mounted thereon and actuated by a lever 83 pivotally mounted on the frame and operated by a link 84, crank 85 and shaft 86 in a manner similar to the strike-01f clutch on the turning of the shaft 86 in the desired direction by means of levers 87 on its ends adjacent t e sides of the machine. The shaft 59 is alined with the shaft 88 and has a clutch member 90 mounted thereon which is engaged b the member 82 to drivin ly connect the s afts 59 and 86 together. he shaft 86 carries a crank disk 91 connected by a pitman 92 to supports 93 on the float 11 whereby the rotary movement of the shaft 59 will cause a horizontal reciprocation of the float when the member 82 is shifted into engagement with the member 90. The float is preferably operated at a slower speed than thetamper.

Th operation of the tamper is, as previously noted, controlled b Y the position of the valve 33 and this va ve is turned by means of an arm 94 operatively connected to an operating rod 95 having handles 96 t its ends adjacent the sides of the machine.

It will be noted that the clutch connections above described permit of the o eration of ithe the float or strike-off in ependently of the tamper or of each other or simultaneously therewith.

To provide for raising the strike-off above the roadway, when not in operation, the levers 75 for shifting the rod 74 are provided with grooved segments 97 carrying flexible connections or cables 98 connected to the strike --ofl'. My this arrangement the movement of either lever 75 to disengage the clutch members and 76 raises the strikeoff and when said clutch members are engaged the strike-off is lowered and free to work.

To provide for raising the float above the roadway, when not in operation, the shaft 86 is provided with crank arms 99 connected by cables 100 to the float. By this arrangement the movement of eitherfof the levers 87 to turn the shaft 86 to disengage the clutch members82 and 90 raises the float and when said clutch members arsenga ed the float is' lowered and free to work. he 0 ration of the device is as follows: the macl ii ne is placed upon the rails 7 over the roadway being constructed. As the machine advances over the concrete deposit in the roadway in front of it, the strike-off moving horizontally roughly smooths or levels off the concrete while the tamper moving vertically packs it down to the de-' sired level and the float moving horizontall smooths over the tamped surface of the roa way. The operation of either the strike-off, float or tamper may be discontinued at any time, the strike-off or float by the release of their respective clutches and the tamper by the closing of the valve in the pipe 22 and the tamping pressure may be raised by the turning of the valve 33. l

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure. by Letters Patent is:

1. In a road-finishing machine, the combination, with a frame; of a vertically reciprocating tamper carried thereby, a compressed air motor having a piston opera tively connected to the tamper for returning it outwardly, and spring means for moving the tamper to its upper position.

2. In a road-finishing machine, the combination with a frame, of a vertically reciprocating tamper carried thereby, a compressed air motor having a piston operatively connected to the tamper for moving it outwardly, means for varying the power output of said motor, and spring means for returning the tamper to its upper position.

3. In a road-finishing machine for concrete roads, the combination. with a frame. of a vertically reciprocating tamper carried thereby, means for applying pressure to the tamper to move it outwardly against the concrete, the pressure upon the tamper being gradually decreased as the stroke of the tamper increases, and means for moving the tamper upwardliy.

4. In a roadnishing machine, the combination with a frame, of a valveless air motor mounted thereon, a valveless compressor mounted on said frame and delivering air to the motor, said motor having a piston, and a vertically reciprocating tamper opcratively connected to said piston.

5. In a road-finishing machine. the combination of a compressor cylinder, a motor cylinder for communication with said comressor cylinder, a piston in each of said cylinders. the displacement volume of the compressor cylinder being greater than that ofthe motor cylinder, power means for reciprocating the compressor piston, a tamper, and means operatively connecting the piston in the motor cylinder with the tamper.

6. In a road-finishing machine, the combination with a frame, of an air motor and an air compressor mounted on said frame. a pipe connecting the cylinders of the motor and compressor, a controlling valve in said pipe, a pipe connecting the crank case of said motor and compressor, a tamper carried by the frame, and a piston-rod secured to the tamper and connected to the piston of the motor.

7. In a road-finishing machine. the combination of a vertically reciprocating tamper, a horizontally reciprocating strike-01f, means for operating the tamper, and means for operating the strike-off at a slower rate of speed than that of the tamper.

8. In a road-finishing machine, the combination of a vertically reciprocating tamper, a horizontally reciprocating strike-off, means for operating the tamper, means for operating the strike-off, and means for independently controlling the operation of the tamper and strike-off.

9. In a road-finishing machine, the combination with a frame having traction wheels, of a two part propelling shaft, means for driving one part of said shaft in either direction, a driving connection between each shaft part and a traction wheel at one end of the frame, and a single clutch for connecting said parts of said shaft to gether to drive the wheels at both ends of the frame, or for disconnecting said arts to move one end of the frame relative y to the other.

10. In a road-tamping machine, the combination witha frame, of a strike-off carried thereby, means for moving said strikeoii' horizontally, controlling means for said moving means, and means so associated that they may he conjointly operable with said controlling means, to raise or lower the strike-off.

11. In a road-tamping machine, the combination with a frame, of a float mounted thereon, means for moving said float transversely of the road, controlling means for said moving means, and means operable with said controlling means, to raise or lowerthe float.

12. In a road-tamping machine, the combination with a frame, of a float mounted thereon and reciprocating horizontally thereof, a strikeoff mounted on said frame and reciprocating horizontally thereof, a, tamper carried by said frame and reciprocating vertically thereof, and means for independently controlling the operation of the float, strike-off and tamper. I

13.'In a road-tamping machine, the combination with a frame, of a float mounted at one end thereof and reciprocating horizontally, a strike-off mounted at the other end of the frame and reciprocating horizontally, a tamper located in the central portion of the machine and reciprocating vertically thereof, and means for actuating said float,

strike-off and tamper including an engine centrally located in the frame.

14. In a road-tamping machine, the combination with a frame of a vertically reciprocating tamper extending lengthwise of and centrally of said frame, an air motor located in substantially the center of said frame and operatively connected to the tamper, and means centrally located on the frame for furnishing power to the motor.

15. In a roadfiuishing machine, the combination, with a frame, of a vertically re ciprocating tamper carried thereby, a compressed air motor having, a piston directly, connected to the tamper for moving it downwardly, and a spring secured at its ends to the frame and intermediate its ends to the tamper for returning said tamper to its upper position.

16. In a road-tampingmachine,the combination, with a frame, of a strike-ofi' carried thereby, means for moving said strike-ofihorizontally, a clutch for controlling said moving means, and means for raising and lowering the strike-off. including a part operatively connected to said clutch whereby said clutch is thrown in when the strike-off is lowered and thrown out when the strike-off is raised.

17. In a road-tamping machine, the combination, with a frame, of a float mounted thereon, means for moving said float transversely of the road, a clutch for controlling said moving means, and means for raising and lowering the float including a part operatively connected to said clutch whereby said clutch is thrown in when the float is lowered and thrown out when the float is raised.

18. In a road-finishing machine, the combination, with a frame, of an air motor and an air compressor mounted on said frame, piping connecting the cylinder of the. compressor to the motor and to the crank case of the compressor, a control valve in said pipe, said motor havinga piston, and a vertically reciprocating tamper operatively connected to said piston.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

GLENWAY MAXON, JR. 

